Community Mapping Network

Forms for Mobile Phone Mapping

Mt. Kenya ecosystem is one of the most unique and extensive ecosystems in Kenya (covering 2,100 km2) and host to the largest natural forest zone in the country. Besides being a gazetted National Park and National Reserve, Mt. Kenya is a UNESCO inscribed World Heritage Site described as one of the most impressive landscapes in Eastern Africa. The ecosystem play a critical role in water catchment being the source of two of Kenya's main rivers - Tana and Ewaso Ng'iro - that the country depend on for power production (Tana produces up to 50% of Kenya's power) and millions of household use as water sources and for livelihood. However, the ecosystem faces many threats mainly from human activities and as such threatening the livelihoods of the millions of Kenyans that depend on its resources for livelihoods.

ERMIS Africa recognizes the importance of the Mt. Kenya ecosystem to the welfare of the adjacent communities and the country as a whole and has launched a project to support the conservation and sustainable utilization of the ecosystem resources. The project dubbed "Mt. Kenya Bioclimate Project" is funded by Global Environment Fund (GEF) through the Small Grants Programme. The main goal of the project is to strengthen biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives in the region for improved community livelihood. The project involves 23 Community Forest Associations (CFAs) and 42 Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) within Mt Kenya ecosystem. ERMIS endeavors to achieve this goal by;

Facilitating the formation of grassroots NRM coordination structures, at county and regional levels, in order to accelerate biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation initiatives within Mt Kenya Ecosystem.